JEV E-D3

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is one of the causes of vector-borne encephalitis found in Southeast Asia. This positive single-stranded RNA virus is a member of the Flaviviridae family, which includes dengue, tick-borne viruses, West Nile virus, Zika virus, and yellow fever virus, and is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. The primary site of interaction for antibodies against this virus is envelope protein domain III (ED3). This report investigates time-dependent structural and conformational changes in JEV ED3 functional epitopes and escape mutants through computer simulations. The results indicate significant structural differences between functional epitopes and escape mutants. Structural/conformational instability induced by this type of mutation can reduce antibody neutralizing activity.